


A Change is Gonna Come

by officialfoxsquadron



Series: fox 'verse [6]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Assassins & Hitmen, F/M, Gen, Medical Procedures, Past Abuse, Past Character Death, Past Child Abuse, Past Drug Use, Past Rape/Non-con, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-04-20 00:24:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14249055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/officialfoxsquadron/pseuds/officialfoxsquadron
Summary: The Empire is on trial. The New Republic, formerly known as the Rebellion, is in power and prosecuting the Empire’s most heinous criminals, as their leaders surrender into the New Republic’s fold. The Rebellion war heroes are now galactic celebrities. And Corellia plays host to it all.Charlotte Skywalker, formerly Reynard, has retired from her assassin’s life and is looking forward to the ordinary life that awaits her; that is, until the past is dredged up and the Fox Squadron must face ugly truths they have been dodging for years.Takes place thirteen months after the events of Piledriver Waltz.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to a previous work, "Piledriver Waltz," and is the fourth in a series of works. To understand certain characters and situations, read "The Dock of the Bay," "Nowhere to Run," and "Piledriver Waltz."  
> Although the Star Wars universe itself is not mine, my original characters, expanded canon, Coruscanti/Lower and original worlds are my own and my intellectual property. Taking inspiration or blatantly taking elements without my explicit permission and/or direct credit is stealing.

**TAKEN FROM COMM RECORDS OF MILO LARSON: 5 ABY**

 

D: MILO

D: HELLO?

D: MILO PLEASE

D: PLEASE ANSWER

D: PLEASE

M: DITEY I’M IN THE COURTROOM

D: IT’S AN EMERGENCY

M: LEMME CALL YOU

D: NO

D: YOU CAN’T

D: I CAN’T TALK

M: WHY?

D: I JUST CAN’T

D: I’M SENDING YOU SOMETHING

M: SOMETHING ABOUT THE KILLER?

D: NO

D: WELL YES

D: I DON’T KNOW

D: NONE OF IT MAKES SENSE

D: BUT IT’S SOMETHING BIGGER

D: YOU CAN’T WATCH IT

D: YOU WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND IT ANYWAYS

M: LET ME CALL YOU. I’M WORRIED

D: PLEASE JUST LISTEN I DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME

D: CHARLOTTE SKYWALKER. SHE’S THE KEY. SHE CAN UNDERSTAND THIS. GET THIS TO HER

M: HER? SHE’S BARELY INVOLVED IN ANY OF THIS

D: YOU’D BE SURPRISED WHAT SHE KNOWS

D: AND WHAT SHE CAN DO

D: THE EMPIRE MAY BE DYING BUT THERE’S STILL EVIL EVERYWHERE

D: YOU’RE ALL IN DANGER

D: TELL HER DITEY DORCHESTER SENT YOU...SHE’LL TRUST YOU...THEN SHOW HER THE MESSAGE

D: MILO...DON’T LOOK UP WHAT HAPPENED TO ME

D: GOODBYE.

M: DITEY?

M: DITEY WHAT THE HELL

M: DITEY I’M CALLING YOU

**TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDED CALL**

M: DITEY? DITEY WHAT THE HELL IS THIS

(WHEEZING)

M: DITEY, CAN YOU SPEAK?

(WHEEZING)

M: DITEY…

(WHEEZING)

M: SAY SOMETHING, ANYTHING

D: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

M: DITEY I DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS

(WHEEZE)

M: DITEY

M: DITEY

M: PLEASE

M: DITEY

M: PLEASE

(SILENCE)

**TRANSCRIPT ENDED**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This thing still on?  
> Hello everyone! I'm really sorry I disappeared there. For like a year. (And I usually hate these types of notes but I feel like i owe you an explanation, so here goes...)  
> 1\. I started university and it's kicking my ass. I'm at a conservatory so you can imagine. (Also keep in mind that will make my writing slower than usual, which is really slow.)  
> 2\. I honestly had no idea where I wanted to take these characters next. There were stories I wanted to tell and I have always had an ending for it that wasn't Lottie and Luke getting married but it was so amorphous that I honestly considered just abandoning this trilogy and focusing on Outtakes, at least for a little while. But then I tried to do that....for NINE WHOLE MONTHS. And it just didn't work. I was stuck. I still love Outtakes and I'm still going to continue it (because there are SO MANY LITTLE FOX SQUADRON MOMENTS I WANT TO WRITE) but I am SO EXCITED for A Change is Gonna Come. I really hope you guys enjoy it.  
> Also a brief little note: I know I say it up top but please don't steal shit from my stories. It's a. really obvious and b. just annoying and discouraging when I see it. I've had a lot of problems with it in the past. (Honestly probably another factor as to why I took like a year off.) I have no problem with you taking inspiration, in fact i'm really honored that you would want to do that at all as all of my characters are little rat faced brats but please at least put credit or message me first. The answer (as long as credit's given) to using Coruscanti or anything will most likely be yes!  
> Anyway, that's it. Again, I really hope you enjoy this new entry in the Fox Squadron world. I missed these idiots. Lots of love.  
> -C


	2. Chapter One

Charlotte Skywalker decided that it was kind of nice not to be running after something, for once in a while. 

Her feet pounded, one after the other, on the half-sand half-pavement mixture that was a Corellian sidewalk, her feet running to the beat of the music blasting in her headphones, concentrating only on her own breath.

She wasn’t running from, but rather to. To her brightly colored, tiny house that her, Luke, Wedge, and Jax had rented with a pool of their money, to a good shower, and then breakfast. Perhaps she would see Luke in the garden, perhaps not-meditating somewhere else. Wedge and Jax were definitely not up, so it would just be them, or maybe just be her, but for once, there would be a bit of quiet, a place for her to play music and dance as she cooked breakfast.

“Morning!”

Lottie turned to her neighbor, running over as the woman flagged her down, watering the flowers on her lawn.

“Hey, Debenham,” Lottie replied, fake-cheerfully, running in place. “What’s up?”

“Nothing, I just-You seem to be keeping up with your fitness.”  
“Got to,” Lottie replied quickly, glancing at her small home just nearby.

“I thought you’d be too busy, with the trial and everything.”

“Luke’s doing more of the legwork, not me,” Lottie said, squinting at the morning sun.

“Well, I won’t keep you waiting,” the old woman said, picking up on her impatience. “Good luck today!” she called, Lottie waving politely back as she finished the short distance to her house, running to the back garden and finding her husband kneeling over a similar plant.

“Old man,” she called, putting her hands on her hips as she caught her breath, raising an eyebrow at her husband. “Soon you’ll take up knitting.”

“Nice to see you too,” Luke said, standing up to greet her. “I’m trying to get us some fresh herbs.”

“You mean the people in this house after us,” Lottie said, pointing to the garden. “Only four more weeks.”

“Not like anyone’s counting,” Luke replied with a chuckle.

“I hate this. I just had to make small talk with Debenham. People jump four feet if you say the word fuck. We’re bound in by that stupid grey fence like dogs. I feel like I’ve been on the world’s longest mission, except at the end we just...go back.”

“You mean move in. To Hosnian Prime. It’ll be nice-we’ll have a whole floor to ourselves at that house.”

“Yeah,” Lottie said, squinting up at her husband’s face, his tan skin freckled in the sun. “You look handsome.”

“Yeah?” Luke asked, tilting an eyebrow.

“Yeah. Planting suits you. Still an old farmer at heart.”

Luke scoffed, rolling his eyes at her playful tone. “C’mere,” Luke said, extending a muddy hand to her.

Lottie backed away, eyes wide in fear. “Oh no you don’t,” she said with a laugh, backing away from him.

“What, afraid of a little dirt?” Luke inched towards her, his arms outstretched, a playful tint in his eyes. “C’mon!”

“Luke, no, no, no, no-aah!” She squealed as he started running towards her, only making it about a few steps before he caught her in his arms, laughing mercilessly despite her supposed indifference, feeling the mud scrape against her bare stomach, laughing into her husband’s shoulder as he picked her up. His lips met a spot on the back of her neck, where her sword tattoo was drawn on, his stubble rubbing the smooth skin just so.

She twisted in his arms when her feet finally touched the soft ground, kissing him fully on the mouth.

“I hate you,” she whispered, meaning the exact opposite as his muddy hands met her back again, her hands wrapping around his neck as their lips met again, not parting until they were interrupted by a polite cough.

Lottie turned briefly until she saw the source, a pretty blonde that she knew had a name somewhere in the back file of “The People Wedge Has Brought Home For Sex” in her brain, but no memory resurfacing. Her tongue hit the roof of her mouth, giving Luke a meaningful look before burying her face in his shoulder.

“Hi,” she said, arms wrapping around the too-large shirt of Wedge’s she was wearing, awkwardly glancing at Luke. “Sorry, I just, um, no one else is up and I couldn’t get the stove to work-”

“That’s alright,” Luke said kindly, turning a laugh into a cough when Lottie playfully bit his collarbone, just out of sight of the mystery woman. “I can get it started.”

“Thank you,” the woman said, awkwardly glancing at the kitchen. “Again, I’m sorry, I just want to-”

“Oh, no worries,” Luke said, quietly untangling himself from Lottie as he climbed up the small steps to the house. “Our home is for all, as the saying goes.”

Lottie followed Luke, her own head down towards the floor as their pinkies remained intertwined, eventually leaving for Luke to wash them of dirt.

“So,” Luke said, glancing towards Lottie as if to plead for an escape, “what brings you to Corellia?”

“Well, the trial,” the woman said, as if it were obvious.

“Oh,” Luke said. “Of course.”

“Didn’t you see me in the courtroom yesterday?” she asked as Luke turned on the old kitchen unit, Lottie standing quietly, but an eyebrow raised at the woman’s insistence.

“Ah,” Luke glanced to Lottie to take the conversation.

“We’re really busy at the trials,” Lottie explained. “We don’t really get time to meet everyone involved, unfortunately.”

“Oh,” the woman replied. “That’s upsetting.”

“Yeah,” Lottie nodded.

“Well, there’s that,” Luke said, hands clasping together as the old unit sputtered to life. “Look, we’ll be upstairs if you need anything.”

“Thanks again,” the woman said. “I don’t think I will.”

“Great,” Lottie replied. “Nice to see you.”

Lottie could barely keep her laughter in at the overwhelmed look Luke gave her, his eyes going wide as they half-ran up the stairs, shutting the door before Luke let out a beleaguered sigh.

“Who the hell even was  _ that?  _ I’m trying to go through names but I just don’t know-”

“Doesn’t he know that’s a giant security risk?” Luke said, equally as frustrated as the two paced around each other. “I mean, she read as harmless, but what if someone doesn’t? Or what if he brings home a reporter?”

“I think this is his new mourning phase. Or maybe he wants a scandal. Maybe that’s his way to punish himself.”

“It’s been almost two years,” Luke sighed. “I mean, I’m not saying that mourning isn’t a process but-”

“It’s not like he processed it to begin with. He’s  _ Wedge.  _ He wouldn’t even admit that he loved Pazima until like, a year ago.”

Luke sighed. “It’s like having teenagers.”

“Teenagers that are significantly older than us.”

“Jax isn’t older than me,” Luke pointed out.

“Lucky,” Lottie muttered, looking at the bed before twisting around to try to look behind herself. “Do I have dirt on my ass? I want to do a disappointed flop on the bed but I don’t want to get it dirty.”

Luke motioned for her to spin around. “Nah. You’re good. Still, I wouldn’t recommend it. Would a disappointed fresher make up for it?”

“Yes,” Lottie said, moving towards the bathroom and twisting her hair out of the sweaty braids holding it back. “It’ll just be a shower of my own tears.”

Luke grunted in laughter at her response, stepping behind her and helping to remove the braids, Lottie’s hands eventually falling to her sides, enjoying the sensation of his hands carefully unwinding her hair, and brushing it, the sight of him concentrating in the mirror, even if her hair was sweaty and muddy-and it felt like he had done this a million times in their first thirteen months of marriage. They stared at each other in the mirror, Luke’s head resting on her shoulder.

“You look beautiful,” he said, his nose tickling the strands of her bushy red hair as it touched her cheek.

“I look sweaty. And dirty.” Lottie countered.

“Like I said.”

“You’re a good husband,” Lottie said, kissing his temple and wrapping her hand around his neck before untangling herself to turn on the fresher. “C’mon,” she said, motioning for him to follow suit as she nonchalantly removed herself of the dirty clothing.

They showered together, quickly despite their insistence to splash each other at every given opportunity, and remained in relative non-awkward silence as Lottie did her hair in the bedroom and Luke shaved in the bathroom, eventually coming through the door half-dressed in a towel.

Lottie smiled, her hands full with the drying device she held, attempting to tame the wet curls as Luke dressed himself, Lottie briefly eyeing his naked backside through the mirror.

_ Gods, he’s still hot. _

That’s what still surprised her, after everything-sure, living on Corellia and going to trials where they used words she couldn’t understand was boring, but marriage was not, and despite what she thought, it wasn’t stale-maybe it would change on Hosnian Prime, or wherever, maybe it would get dull but for now, thirteen months later, it was still decidedly magical.

Lottie faintly heard Luke’s voice, and shut off the loud drying machine.

“Sorry, what did you say?”

“I asked if you were nervous about the trial today.”

“A bit,” Lottie confessed. “I hate testifying.”

“Yeah, well, just once more,” Luke soothed, buttoning up his shirt before sitting by her side, “Once more and three hundred more prison guards go away.”

“Yeah,” Lottie said, fingers interlocking with his hand on her knee. “I just feel like everyone there is judging me.”

“Why?”

“Basic.”

“You’ve gotten so much better,” Luke said. “It’s not like they don’t know it’s not your native tongue.”

“I know, I just...y’know.”

“Yeah,” Luke said, kissing her cheek before playing with her hair, Lottie’s head falling in his lap. “Well, look at it this way, trial today, trial tomorrow, and then we’ll be painting our rooms on Hosnian Prime.”

Lottie smiled at the thought. “Thank the Gods. I’ve had enough of this fucking wallpaper.”

Luke chuckled as he glanced and the ghastly white floral adorning their walls. “Yeah, it’s not pretty, is it?”

“It’s  _ hideous.  _ No wonder Wedge got the fuck outta here when he had the chance.”

“Seriously,” Luke commented.

“When we get to Hosnian Prime, do you want a garden?” Lottie asked, looking up at him as his hands continued to intertwine with her hair.

He nodded, smiling. “Yeah. It’s soothing. It’s like meditating. Connects to the same things.”

“I hear you talk to them, sometimes. The plants.”

“Oh, Gods.”

“It’s cute!” Lottie protested. “It’s very sweet. And it’s a different voice than your normal one, it’s lower, and softer, I like it.”

Just then, Lottie and Luke heard muffled voices begin to shout, one distinctly feminine and the other the familiar growl of Wedge Antilles’ Corellian accent.

“And here it begins.”

“If another plate breaks I’m gonna start charging,” Lottie grunted, sitting up as she walked to her wardrobe, picking out the black dress she had chosen the night before-conservative, safe, utterly boring.

“We were having such a nice moment,” Luke protested, raising his own voice just slightly.

“The real galaxy has arrived, as usual.” Lottie muttered, taking her robe off as she began to get ready.

“I think that’s what I hate most about this place,” Luke said, as the door slammed particularly loud downstairs. “The walls are  _ much  _ too thin.”

“To be fair, I think we would have heard that door slam even if this place was soundproofed.”

“Wedge has that effect on people,” Luke commented, raising an eyebrow as Lottie zipped up the side of her dress. “Want to go yell at our son?”

“Please,” Lottie said, closing the door behind her as they made their way downstairs.

“I already know what you’re going to say,” Wedge said, far too loudly as Lottie and Luke walked slowly into the kitchen, Lottie patiently beginning to start breakfast. Wedge was half-dressed in boxers and a robe, his hair messy and dotted with grey streaks with a dark stubble surrounding his face. “Blah blah irresponsible blah-”

“I’m more upset for that poor woman,” Luke said patiently. “I couldn’t even remember her name.”

“Me neither,” Wedge said, plopping on a wooden seat in the kitchen. “I need vodka.”

“I’m not giving you vodka at 0900 in the middle of the week, Wedge,” Lottie said, putting oil in a pan, “We already have one struggling alcoholic ass in this house, we don’t need two. Besides, you look like shit.”

“Thanks,” Wedge muttered, glancing as Lottie gave Luke a cup of hot chocolate, his hand squeezing hers as a thank you. “I suppose you think I should get a committed relationship. Or something.”

“I think you should stop bringing strangers into our house,” Lottie said. “And blasting things in the backyard at 0200. People will start asking questions.”

“It’s not like-”

“It is weird to just randomly blast things, Wedge,” Luke said, anticipating Wedge’s words. “In the real galaxy.”

“What, and war wasn’t?”

“No,” Luke said, looking at Lottie as she handed Wedge a cup of strong coffee. “Not in this sense.”

“Thanks, Lottie,” Wedge said. “It’s this place. It’s driving me insane. I thought I’d love being back, but every time-”

“Your parents,” Lottie finished.

“No, not even that, I just miss...it. I miss war. I miss being on base. I can’t stand this stupid fucking suburban-”

“Wedge, I swear on all things holy, if you start another stupid fucking loudmouthed dramatic monologue, I will shove barbed wire in your asshole,” Lottie said calmly.

“See! I miss that, I miss-”

“Me shoving barbed wire in people’s assholes?” Lottie said good-naturedly.

“No, shut up, I miss when you could just say ridiculously vulgar things unencumbered by this fucking trial-”

“Please tell me I missed it,” Jax said, poking his head out of his room to look at Luke, a blanket wrapped around his body and covering his head. “I was trying to get sleep all damn night.”

“He’s just getting started,” Luke replied.

“I”m making eggs if you want them,” Lottie called to Jax, who shuffled in a seat.

“I hate you, Wedge,” he mumbled. “You’re such a pretentious little shit.”

“Good morning to you too,” Wedge said, looking at Jax through bleary eyes.

“How about we all just take a deep breath and drink coffee?” Luke said.

“What, while your wife cooks food in the kitchen? That’s the most misogynistic thing I’ve ever-”

“You never complained about my cooking on the Prophet,” Lottie pointed out. “Hasn’t changed since I married Luke.”

“I fundamentally disagree with it.”

“Well I can  _ fundamentally  _ douse your eggs in poison and get away with it. Are we done here?” Lottie said, bringing over trays of food as she finally sat down.

“Remind me when I’m sober that I hate normality,” Wedge said bitterly as he grabbed a plate of food.

“I swear to the Gods, it’s Pazima all over again,” Lottie said.

“You’re complaining?”

“I’m not complaining, but Pazima was a pain in my ass on more than one occasion, even though I loved her,” Lottie said.

“It’s your parents,” Jax said directly. “They’re here. And not six-feet-under, buried here, they’re here here. Alive. And that’s why you’ve turned into a sixteen year old.”

Wedge gave him a sullen look. “Who said you had a psychology degree?”

“The university I can go to to pick it up in like a month because I’m lightyears more intelligent than you, Antilles-”

“Can we stop?” Lottie said, raising her hands. “Please, this is driving me insane, I’m getting a headache and I have to fucking testify today, please, just-”

“Yeah. Sorry,” Jax said quickly.

“You have to testify?” Wedge asked.

“Yeah, dude,” Jax said, kicking him under his seat. “About her, y’know…” Jax tried draw discreet circles over his stomach to mean infertility.

“I can see you,” Lottie said. “And I’d be fine, really, if you two jackasses could just realize we’re only stuck on this stupid planet for four more weeks.”

“And what then, normal life?”

“Normal life,” Lottie said. “Isn’t that what we always wanted?”

“It’s what we thought we always wanted,” Jax replied. “Not what we can handle.”

Wedge turned to Luke, who had gone silent. “Any Jedi wisdom over here?”

“Lottie’s right. Once the trial’s over it’ll all go back to normal. Wedge can be a general and-”

“What about Fox Squadron?” Jax said, turning to Lottie. “What happens to that?”

“It comes up if it needs to,” Lottie said. “Like it always has. Nothing’s gonna change, things are just...slower now.”

Breakfast panned out in relative peace and quiet after, Wedge and Jax sullenly slinking back to their rooms to get ready, leaving Luke and Lottie alone.

“That was...better than I expected,” Luke said. “How long you think it’ll last?”

“Two days, tops,” Lottie said. “Gods, I wish Paz were here. They could go mad together, at least.”

Luke chuckled briefly, but then turned to Lottie solemnly. “Lot, I mean it, are you sure about the testimony today?”

“I’ll be fine, Lu, really,” she said, squeezing his hand and giving him a smile. “I’m a big girl, I can handle myself.”

“I love you,” Luke replied, standing up and kissing her forehead, taking her plate to the kitchen. “And I’m always here for you, you know that.”

“I know, baby,” Lottie said, smiling at him from her seat. “I love you too.”

Running to. That’s what she realized was so fundamentally different, why Wedge was traipsing about the house like a vampire, why Jax slept in till noon, why the pit of her stomach felt odd, why Luke checked every sharp corner for a danger. They all suddenly reversed direction, mid stream, and now it was all about to, not from, winning, not losing, loving, not hating, jailing, not killing.

And if she were honest with herself, she realized, getting up from the chair and into the speeder to the trial, running from was a hell of a lot easier.


	3. Chapter 2

“Charlotte Reynard Skywalker, do you swear to tell the truth, fully and completely, in order to assist in the due process of galactic justice?”

Lottie’s eyes darted up from the witness stand, and she could almost picture their milky hazel turning to a dark brown with the darkly humorous statement she would say next:

“I so swear.”

She barely hid the smirk, eyes locking with Luke from the witness stand, and she could hear him thinking:

_ Didn’t even get your name right. _

She fought back the smile, but Luke gave it for her.

That was the one thing that was different about being with a Force user; she wasn’t ever alone. Not really. But that’s how Lottie wanted it, always; she hated the space in her bed when Luke wasn’t there, cold sheets suffocating her in a cocoon. She thought she would hate the idea of Luke’s mind being there with her, always, but thirteen months later, she couldn’t remember what life was like without it. Besides, it’s not like he was always  _ reading  _ her mind. Just sending her thoughts occasionally. But always knowing if she was in danger.

And that she loved.

What she disliked-vehemently-was her surroundings, a glistening courtroom in Corellia surrounded by reporters hinging on every word, collecting testimony for records. Her story had already been scrutinized heavily by the public, after her very face became a symbol for the New Republic.

Lottie and Luke had spent just a week within marital bliss, then a couple of months completing a mission on Corisdor, then back to the war until the Battle of Jakku and the peace treaty, just a month ago. Within that time the Empire had gone through a few dozen new Emperors before its collapse, Jax Collins had published research on the Empire’s inhumane experimentation shifting the public mind of the galaxy, Luke had become an uncle to Ben Organa-Solo, and Han had proposed, the wedding happening just after the trial. Lottie, meanwhile, had become a war hero along with the rest of them, her story of imprisonment captivating millions with the face she had worn as a member of the living dead. 

Or maybe it was just because she bore the last name Skywalker.

“Mrs. Skywalker, just a couple of questions for today’s cross-examination.” Leopold Larson stepped confidently to the center of the courtroom. He had pale blonde hair and paler skin, speaking in a clipped, harsh accent, with thin glasses perched on his nose and a datapad he used more as an actor’s prop than a writing instrument. “You spoke in your testimony last week of your genital mutilation in prison. This was delivered by Darth Vader, is that correct?”

“Correct,” Lottie replied confidently.

“And this was done because of your relationship to Luke Skywalker?”

“Also correct.”

“So would you agree with my thinking that this was an uncommon practice within prisons-”

“Objection, leading,” said one of the rebellion counsels, a Twi’lek man with an unusually deep voice.

“Sustained,” The judge decided, looking at Leopold.

“I’ll rephrase-was this common practice on the  _ Executor _ ?”

“Not in the way mine was, no,” Lottie said confidently, even though she swore every time she spoke a full sentence one of the reporters in the crowded room recoiled, or blinked rapidly, or raised their eyebrows, her high brash voice apparently perpetually surprising. That was the thing-she always felt more like a curiosity than a hero to these people, some poor creature they could ogle at from behind glass walls. “There were- _ are- _ very few Force users left, so very few people who could affect the body in the way Vader did mine. However, sexual abuse and mutilation was not uncommon. Guards could do what they want, when they wanted.”

“Could you give an example of this?”

“First night I was there I was almost raped. This was standard practice, it was how they broke in people.”

“You said almost? How did you avoid this?”

“I clawed at him until I drew blood,” Lottie said coolly, almost relishing in the gasps and hasty typing from the reporters, but most of all Leopold’s face. “He had to be dragged out of there.”

She glanced quickly at Luke, who smiled and mouthed, “ _ That’s my girl. _ ”

“Surely he had weapons with him?”

“Well, Counsel Larson, usually rapists don’t have much on them, if you catch my meaning.”

A couple of chuckles from the audience, an even bigger smile from Luke.

“So this man was exposed?”

“Just in plain clothes, sir.”

“I see. And this guard’s name for the record, if you remember?”

“Andis. That was his last name. I didn’t know his first.”

“Thank you,” Leopold said, pointedly flipping his datapad to another set of notes. “You also mentioned the physical torture you received at the hands of Vader, particularly with knives. Was this standard practice as well?”

“No,” Lottie said. “Nothing Vader did was standard practice. But if you’re asking if other prisoners were tortured, yes, of course. I spent a month in regular jail aboard the  _ Executor,  _ and I saw what happened to other prisoners.”

“Could you describe this?”

“Beatings, lots of beatings. Guards were encouraged to use prisoners to practice hand to hand combat, target practice, that sort of thing. You could harm a max-security prisoner as much as you want, you just couldn’t kill them. People there looked like walking corpses, like zombies.”

“You spoke of a friend in prison, an Iris Apfel. Was it common to have this type of relationship?”

“Yes and no,” Lottie replied, genuinely honest. “She was a friend, yes, but the guards preyed on that-find out who likes who and then separate them.”

“Do you have any idea of her whereabouts?”

“None whatsoever.”

“Did you inform her of your escape plan?”

“Yes.”

“And she didn’t want to escape with you?”

“She said she was going to die in prison. She was sick.”

“I know this is difficult for you to talk about, Ms. Skywalker, I thank you again for your time. Do you know if any of these prisoners were accidentally killed?”

“I’m not sure. I never saw any in the month I was in regular jail, but again, I was only there for a short time and separated from everyone else. I was only let out for food.”

“Alright. You said you received medical treatment on the Executor?”

“Extremely crude,” Lottie replied. “If I wasn’t a medic myself, I would not have survived prison, much less escape. They patched everything up in a hurry. But, yes, I did receive medical treatment. Vader made sure of this, he had a set timeline for my death.”

“He didn’t want to kill you, correct?”

“Yes, not until the end-my death was his final playing card, always.”

“Ms. Skywalker, again, thank you for your time...Just one final topic. You are vague about your escape and time spent after, especially the means of escape and locations of where you spent after your escape.”

“Yes. That period is strictly classified to the public.”

“Why is that?”

“The reasons why are just as much classified material as the how, Counsel Larson.”

“How do you expect the jury to trust you without knowing the full details?”

“If you really want to know, I can tell you this; the months I spent that are classified were spent in recovery. I had three broken ribs, a broken right ankle, several infected wounds, a mutilated uterus, and was severely malnourished. Beyond that, I was severely traumatized; I was violated, beaten, abused, assaulted, used as a pawn to try and kill the man who would be my husband. I would hope the jury would recognize that any nefarious activities you may want to attribute to me to discredit what I went through would be applicable to someone else who wasn’t barely clinging onto life, but if I have to assume that they’re as dim-witted as you most certainly do, Counselor, then so I must.”

Larson looked utterly defeated, not recognizable to anyone else, but recognizable to Lottie, trained eyes noticing the small drop of his eyebrows. Lottie felt herself almost swell with pride; they expect nothing out of a dirt-poor Coruscanti girl who only learned how to read and write a couple of months ago, and then  _ boom.  _ Being the Fox came in handy sometimes, especially when you can dodge any attorney’s questions as easy as you poured water.

“The prosecution rests for this time.”

“Ms. Skywalker, you are dismissed. Court dismissed for recess. We will return with testimony from the defense’s fourth witness.”

Lottie nearly leaped out of her seat at the judge’s words, rushing through the crowd to find Luke, who was nearly beaming as he took her hand.

“You were  _ amazing, _ ” he whispered, drawing her close as guards ushered them from the courtroom, avoiding hounds of reporters shouting questions at her. “Really fantastic,” he said again, kissing the side of her head as they joined other members of the Rebellion-now-New Republic in the prosecution’s office. Every emotion in her head seemed to suddenly cloud, filter through, it was overwhelming, the noise, the sound-

The fact that she just announced to the world exactly how she was abused.

“I feel like everyone’s staring at me,” Lottie said quietly, her voice hoarse.

“It’s okay,” Luke said, rubbing her shoulders.

“Lottie!” General Leia Organa stood up, handing her dark-haired son to Han as she beamed with pride, embracing her sister-in-law. “You did great, really great!”

“Thanks,” Lottie said sheepishly, hugging her back. “Now you just have the wedding to worry about.”

Leia rolled her eyes. “If only.”

Lottie’s eyes lit up as she saw her nephew, gurgling in Han’s arms. “And how’s my favorite nephew today?” she asked, brushing his cheek with her little finger. “How are you, Ben?”

“Refusing to sleep,” Han said grumpily. “Do you wanna try?”

“Sure!” Lottie said happily, taking Ben from Han’s arms and bouncing him in her own.

“It’s the Coruscanti lullabies, we think he likes them,” Han elaborated.

Lottie smiled. “Alderaan lullabies are just as pretty.”

“I don’t know,” Leia said. “He’s been fussy recently.”  
“It’s probably just a phase,” Lottie said calmly, sitting down with Ben. 

“That’s what we think too. Good job out there, by the way,” Lottie’s eyebrows shot up at Han’s compliment.

“Thanks,” she mumbled again, focusing on Ben’s gurgling in her arms as Leia and Luke began talking in hushed tones, attorneys and government people filing into the already cramped room.

“Hey,” Wedge said, scooting his chair closer to Lottie. His five-o-clock shadow and general hungover nature comforted Lottie to an almost unnatural degree. At least  _ something  _ was normal as Wedge plugged himself with coffee. “My parents weren’t there, right?”

“Wedge, how the hell am I supposed to keep an eye out for people I don’t even know? Sorry Ben,” she added absentmindedly, fussing with the baby’s hair.

“Trust me, you would know. They can make an entrance.”

“Now I know where you get it from.”

“And what I passed down to you,” Wedge said, reaching for Lottie’s fingertips. “I’m sorry about this morning. About everything, I just-”

“It’s okay,” Lottie said, her fingers intertwining his. “I know this all must be hard for yo-”

“Mrs. Skywalker, a quick debriefing, please?” An attorney interrupted their conversation, joined by a veritable pack of other similarly-dressed creatures.

“Why? I don’t have any more to say,” Lottie said defiantly.

“I’m afraid it’s just protocol, ma’am.”

“Well, does it have to be now, right after?”

“Well-no, I just-”  
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to speak to my wife alone please,” Luke said, materializing by Lottie’s side and resting a hand on her shoulder, his tone kind but firm.

“Oh, uh, sure, Jedi Skywalker. Mrs. Skywalker, we’ll continue this conversation.”

“Try not to sound too ominous, lads, the Gods know I haven’t had enough interrogations in one lifetime,” Lottie said, dramatically getting up from her seat. “He’s all yours, Leia,” she said, handing her son as Luke and Lottie moved into a small side hallway, dodging various workers as they found a quiet spot.

Luke glanced around for a moment, and whispered “Watch out,” before he kissed Lottie fully on the mouth, Lottie humming just slightly before he moved away.

“My own Jedi Knight,” Lottie teased, kissing him on the nose. “Thanks for getting me out of there.”

“I figured you were overwhelmed.”

“Figured, or read my mind?” 

“Maybe both,” Luke said. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Lottie said, shrugging. “I feel like a circus freak when I’m up there. Probably cause I am,” she laughed oddly, rubbing the tattoo behind her ear.

“You’re not a freak,” Luke said. “Don’t let people who don’t understand you try and judge you.”

“You sure they don’t think I’m crazy?”

“I’m pretty sure they think you’re a badass woman who went through hell and back. You were amazing, honey, really.”

“You think?”

“I know. You won the case. That case, anyway.”

“Who would’ve thought little old Nadezhda Dorchester would be winning  _ cases?”  _ Lottie said, emphasizing the last word with a playful smirk as she brought Luke closer to her, her hands tugging on his belt.

“Hello,” Luke said, his eyebrow raised. “We are in a very public building, in a very public hallway...”

“Only  _ mildly  _ public,” Lottie said, fiddling with Luke’s buckle. “And don’t tell me you don’t think seductively whispering things in my mind while I’m testifying on a witness stand isn’t the best kind of foreplay.”

“In a hallway where Wedge Antilles can walk out the door any second?” Luke said.

Lottie groaned, moving away from him. “You’re right,” Lottie said, fastening what she had undone. “Extremely un-sexy. I mean, if it were any other person, I would say go for it.”

“Lottie!” Luke gasped, a little scandalized at her statement.

“Oh, come on, Luke, we’ve been married for a year and that really is not the most scandalous of my kinks, let’s be honest.”

Luke sighed, his hands on his hips as Lottie smirked. “Any other person? In the whole galaxy?” Luke teased.

“Okay, maybe not any other person,” Lottie said, giggling just slightly. “I love you, idiot.” she said, wrapping her arms around him.

“I love you too.”

“I’m gonna go smoke. Maybe I’ll smoke out my sinful fantasies,” she teased.

“Please don’t,” Luke replied, smiling as he kissed her. “See you soon.”

“Oh, I hope so,” Lottie said, sticking her tongue out as she sauntered past the hallway.

* * *

 

Milo Larson’s brow furrowed, squinting in the Correllian sun and pacing, tapping the cigarra case in his suit jacket pocket, just next to his comlink.

_ She’s late,  _ he thought to himself, staring again at the wood-paneled frame, as if willing Lottie Skywalker to come through it.  _ She’s late and she’s barely ever late, unless… _

“Hey Milo,” Lottie said, lighting her cigarra as she stepped outside, exhaling with a bounce to her toes, her curly red hair just slightly disheveled. “How are you-”

“Oh, thank the Gods,” Milo said. “I thought you got killed or something.”

“Killed?” Lottie said. “Good Gods, man, I’ve known spies with less of an anxiety problem.”

“I genuinely thought my dad would kill you,” Milo said, a relieved chuckle emerging from his lips.

“Please. You’re dad’s alright, as far as jackasses go. Lighter?”

“Thanks,” Milo said, taking Lottie’s offering from her. His light brown skin and youthful features shone in the sun, curly brown hair reflecting as he squinted down at Lottie. They had become friends over the course of the trial-the smokers always did, even if one of their dads was the prosecuting attorney.

“It takes a strong person to outwit my dad like that,” Milo said, taking a puff of his cigarra, nervously fidgeting with his hands, not having any idea what to bring up next.

“I outwitted Vader,” Lottie pointed out, if a bit arrogantly. “Your dad’s nothing compared to that. Thanks, though,” she said as an afterthought.

“How’s Luke?” he asked, the small talk coming out more awkward than he imagined.

“Luke’s fine. You seem really nervous today,” Lottie observed. “Milo, I promise I’m fine.”

“No, it’s not that, It’s-well I am nervous because, well-”

“Look, Milo, I am aware that you’re in love with my husband.”

“WHAT?!”  
“You ask about him every single day, it’s not like it’s that hard to spot.”

“What-no, I-no that’s not what this is about-I mean, not that I don’t  _ appreciate  _ him from a distance but I don’t mean to offend you-”

“Milo, I know he’s hot, just spit it out-”

“Ditey Dorchester’s dead.” Milo said the sentence as if one word, looking up at Lottie as if he was a guilty child, unaware that his words changed her life forever.

Lottie’s cigarra dropped to the ground. For a split second, her mind cleared and suddenly she was ten years old, holding a baby in her arms, finding her father trapped in a bombed out house, a shard of glass in her right arm-

She’s eleven, and cold, and rocking Ditey to sleep in the back room of a brothel-

She’s twelve, and leaving her is the hardest thing she’s ever done, leaving all of them, promising to send money, totally unaware she is leaving for a new life, a new name, a new everything-

For once in her life Lottie is stunned, her mind tearing itself to pieces, all of her identities shedding itself as suddenly she is a twenty two year old version of Nadezhda Dorchester, the girl that died long ago, died when Ditey was two and hugged her goodbye. 

She briefly thinks to herself Luke must feel this, Luke must know. 

She looks up at Milo, and her look must be so- _ something- _ that he takes a step back, his eyes wide.

“She has a message for you,” he said quietly. “She told me to-”

“How do you know her?” Lottie hissed, suddenly reverting to anger, intimidation, her safe state, a lioness protecting her cub.

“She was a contact for my stories-”

“She’s twelve.”

“She contacted me. Look, Lottie-Mrs. Skywalker, I really think you should listen, I think people are in danger, I tried to watch the holo but it’s all in-”

“Listen to me,” Lottie whispered, her voice shaking with rage, fear, every negative emotion. “You do not speak of this. Not now, not here, do you understand m-”

Lottie’s head whipped around, picking up an unmistakable sound.

_ Sniper. _

The brief blaster shot rings out, maybe just in her ears, Milo standing, panting, unmoving.

“MILO LOOK OUT-” she seems to say in slow motion, grabbing him and pulling him down to the ground, but much too late as his head is grazed, Milo just noticing and giving her a look of sheer terror before passing out, and Lottie can’t help but think that Ditey might have died this way, and  _ why the hell was there a sniper for her little Ditey- _

“Lottie are you-holy Gods,” Luke said, stopping dead in his tracks at Milo’s wound, Lottie looking up at him, her mascara already running down her face as Jax and Wedge were not far behind.

“Sniper, I’d wager about 1600 meters,” Lottie said quickly, snapping into war mode. “Go!” she said, as if obvious as she cradled Milo’s head in her hands.

“I’ll get a medpack,” Jax whispered hoarsely, nodding as Lottie motioned for Wedge to help her with the wound. Luke was long gone, tracing what was left of the attacker.

“Tell his father,” Lottie called. “Get emergency services, I need a hospital.”

Luke was running after something. Milo was too.

Soon, they all would, Lottie realized.

Lottie swore she felt her Horrificus tattoo behind her ear sting, for the first time in years, looking up to Wedge as she held together the man who had somehow stumbled upon the secret Wedge didn’t know.


End file.
